Awai's 2020 Copywriting Pricing Guide
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State of the Industry Report AWAI’S 2020 COPYWRITING PRICING GUIDE n How to Harness the Power of Copywriting n Today’s Top 7 Marketing Trends n Success Tips for Marketers & Copywriters n Fee Ranges for the Top 75 Copywriting Projects Published by: American Writers & Artists Institute 101 SE 6th Avenue, Suite A Delray Beach, FL 33483 Phone: 561-278-5557 Fax: 561-278-5929 Website: www.awai.com © American Writers & Artists Institute, All rights reserved. Protected by copyright laws of the United States and international treaties. No part of this publication in whole or in part may be copied, duplicated, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission from the publisher. 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CORCOS TABLE OF CONTENTS 2020 STATE OF THE COPYWRITING INDUSTRY Executive Summary 1 Top 7 Marketing Trends and Predictions for Staying Connected to Your Customers 3 What’s Working the Best Right Now When it Comes to Copywriting 11 Copywriting Essentials for Marketing Success 23 AWAI’s 2020 COPYWRITING PRICING GUIDE Overview: Evaluating Your Return on a Copywriting Investment 25 Fee Ranges for the 75 Hottest Copywriting Projects 27 How to Create the Right Copywriting Budget 35 SUCCESS TIPS FOR MARKETERS How to Recognize and Hire Skilled Copywriters 38 Recognizing a Great Copywriter 39 Finding a Skilled Copywriter 40 Planning Your Copywriting Process 43 What Trained Copywriters Mean for Your Business 45 SUCCESS TIPS FOR COPYWRITERS Be the Solution for a Growing Demand 47 Where to Find Clients That Value You 48 Presenting Proposals That Get a Yes 49 SUMMARY Important Next Steps to Harness the Power of Copywriting 50 About AWAI Copywriter Training 51 Resources for Marketers and Copywriters 51 Research Sources 53 2020 STATE OF THE COPYWRITING INDUSTRY Executive Summary Just 25 years ago, in 1995, the U.S. National Science Foundation allowed Internet use to go beyond a research/nonprofit platform and include commercial enterprise for the first time. This landmark decision opened the door for the first commercial websites to launch that year, including Amazon.com, eBay.com, and PCWorld.com. Google was launched a year later. 1995 was arguably a landmark year for copywriting as well — expanding the field from traditional media (TV and radio as well as direct mail, advertising, and other print materials) to a whole new world of online marketing: websites, emails, blogs, articles, online video, and more. Today, the use of quality, results-oriented copywriting is at a peak demand, with at approximately 6.42 billion pages on the “Indexed Web today (changing daily)”,1 306.4 billion emails sent/received per day worldwide,2 321 million monthly active Twitter users,3 2.7 billion monthly users on Facebook,4 660 million LinkedIn members,5 1 billion Instagram users worldwide6, and 291 million monthly active users on Pinterest.7 That’s because millions upon millions of companies — all jockeying for attention, search-engine traffic, and sales — need to publish a steady stream of stories, how-to information, clear demonstrations, benefit-focused offers, and other copywritten content that performs across a wide variety of marketing channels. To help you tap into this peak demand for copywriting and make it work wonders for you now … 1 The team here at AWAI (American Writers & Artists Institute) — the world’s leading publisher of direct-response copywriting, content writing, and graphic design home-study programs — dug deep into the latest statistics and trends to uncover the major value of copywriting, as well as how to overcome the challenge of finding skilled writers. We also reached out to our A-team network of “from the trenches” copywriters and marketers to weigh in on these subjects. You see, we’re uniquely positioned to give you the inside scoop because we not only use direct-response online and offline copy every day to help thousands of aspiring copywriters find our training programs, learn the craft, and succeed as writers … We’re continually studying who’s doing what when it comes to lead generation and direct sales. Plus, over the years, marketers, creative directors, business owners, and others have turned to AWAI as a resource for finding the right copywriter to help build opt-in mailing lists, get targets to open those emails, drive organic traffic to a website, convert website visitors to buyers, and increase the response rates on all promotions. We know exactly what today’s marketers want and need in a skilled copywriter. The result of our exhaustive research is your true INSIDER’S GUIDE to the 2020 State of the Copywriting Industry: what’s making it tick and thrive, and how you can make the most of it. Let’s begin by taking a look at the biggest trends and predictions for the year. 2 7 Marketing Trends and Predictions for Staying Connected to Your Customers When you take a closer look at what’s working now in Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) marketing, it’s easy to see that all signs point to unique, audience-focused, and engaging communication (aka copywriting) as the common thread and key ingredient for success in today’s online and offline channels. According to HubSpot’s “The Ultimate List of Marketing Statistics for 2019”:8 • Ecommerce sales are expected to reach $4.5 trillion by 2021. • Social media and watching videos are the two most popular internet activities. • Content marketing gets three times the leads of paid search advertising. • About half of customers will consume three to five pieces of content before talking to a sales rep. 3 7 Marketing Trends and Predictions for Staying Connected to Your Customers 1 Content marketing is a given. According to Demand Metric, 91% of B2B marketers and 86% of B2C marketers use content marketing and 78% of Chief Marketing Officers believe custom content is the future of marketing. Nearly two-thirds of businesses rely on outside help to create their content.9 Key Takeaways The Content Marketing Institute defines content marketing as a strategic marketing approach focused on: • creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content • attracting and retaining a clearly-defined audience • driving profitable customer action Important: The content marketing landscape is changing to focus more on video and livestreaming. Personalized content experiences are also becoming an important trend.10 4 7 Marketing Trends and Predictions for Staying Connected to Your Customers Mobile marketing cannot 2 be ignored. From Blue Corona’s article, “75+ Mobile Marketing Statistics for 2020 and Beyond”: 11 • ““Up to 70% of web traffic happens on a mobile device...” • “People today have 2X more interactions with brands on mobile than anywhere else—that includes TV, in-store, you name it…” • And, “69% of smartphone users also say that they are more likely to buy from companies with mobile sites that easily address their questions or concerns.” Key Takeaways Copywriters and marketers who understand mobile marketing will position themselves for success in 2019. They’ll reach a broader audience, if… • content is easy to read on mobile devices • content loads quickly on devices • calling and ordering are simple one-click functions • video content includes captions for those who prefer NOT to have sound playing (which is very common now) Copywriters and marketers who understand mobile marketing will position themselves for success in 2020. 5 7 Marketing Trends and Predictions for Staying Connected to Your Customers Video Continues to Dominate 3 as a Trend In their State of Video Marketing 2019 report, wyzowl reports:12 “The adoption of video as a marketing tactic continues to soar, with more marketers using it than ever.” Key Takeaways Video has become a meaningful part of content marketing strategies and direct response marketing campaigns. • 94% of marketers find that video helps improve viewers’ understanding of the company’s product or service. • 87% of online marketers use video content as part of their strategy. • 80% of marketers say video content has increased the amount of time visitors spend on their site. • 88% of marketers plan to increase their video marketing budget next year. These companies all need good copywriters and content writers to craft engaging scripts for their online videos. 6 7 Marketing Trends and Predictions for Staying Connected to Your Customers Micro-Moments, Search Intent, and Featured Snippets— 4 Big Changes in SEO. According to Lyfe Marketing, SEO spending will increase to $80 billion in the coming year and is likely to outpace spending on online ads. Why the growth? It’s simple. SEO works. Key Takeaways13 • 93% of all online activities begin on a search engine. • If you’re a marketer, you need to reach your target audience and provide them quick and easy solutions. Understanding Search Intent is key to achieving this. • Your clients are concerned about featured snippets on Google and how they will affect their traffic. A skilled SEO copywriter can help. • Micro-moments are impacting search results. Good, clear writing is essential to deliver on these quick searches. • 70% of traffic comes from long-tail searches. Your clients need strong, SEO-friendly content to attract visitors seeking specific information. 7 7 Marketing Trends and Predictions for Staying Connected to Your Customers 5 Marketing gets more personal. One of the trends to watch is marketing personalization. Not the creepy tendency to repeat your reader’s name over and over again or to follow them around the internet through remarketing… but more personalized content experiences.